Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Social Circle Bypass, Newton and Walton Counties, Georgia

The proposed project would consist of the construction of a new location bypass beginning at a point along SR 11 / South Cherokee Road south of the southern city limits of Social Circle in Newton County, and continuing northeasterly to East Hightower Trail in the vicinity of Standridge Drive near the eastern city limits of Social Circle in Walton County (refer to attached Figure 1). The proposed bypass would be approximately 3.5 miles long and the proposed typical section would consist of two 12-foot travel lanes (one in each direction) with 10-foot rural shoulders. The design speed for the proposed roadway is 55 miles per hour. There is no existing right-of-way for this proposed new location roadway and the proposed right-of-way would be a minimum of 200 feet. In addition, the proposed project would involve the reconstruction of the existing Standridge Drive. The reconstruction would involve upgrading the existing at-grade CSX Railroad crossing and the construction of a right turn lane from the access road onto East Hightower Trail. The goal of the survey was to locate and evaluate archaeological sites within the Area of Potential Effect (APE) of the proposed undertaking, so that potential effects to any resources identified could be evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. A review of the Georgia Archaeological Site Files at the University of Georgia in Athens showed that there are no previously identified archaeological sites within a one mile radius of the project area. The closest previously recorded site is located approximately 1.8 miles north of the project area. During the course of the current investigations, six archaeological sites were identified. It is recommended the project be allowed to proceed as planned within the current APE.